


start your life in the middle of the jungle

by backcheck



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 20:19:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10171040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/backcheck/pseuds/backcheck
Summary: Dylan, Connor and birthdays.





	

**Author's Note:**

> this could be in the other AAG universe, but it works as a standalone too. happy birthday dylan! thank u to A., for looking this over and to the other A. for always talking about ridiculous au's with me. mitch/auston is implied but isn't really the focus at all so i didn't tag it
> 
> title from young blood by noah kahan, because what else?

**2019.**

Dylan turns twenty two on a Thursday. 

There’s two days until their quarterfinal against Minnesota-Duluth and it’s her last chance at getting a National Championship. 

Alex bakes her a cake. It’s vanilla with rainbow stickers and Alex tried to dye the icing maroon and gold but it just looks disgusting. It tastes good and that’s what really matters, especially when Taylor shoves a piece into Dylan’s face. 

Connor sent her a box. It’s sitting on the kitchen counter, right beside the empty pizza boxes and vegetable tray. Dylan doesn’t want to open it. 

They haven’t talked since Connor lost to the Inferno in the Clarkson Cup final. It went to overtime and Dylan watched it with Alex, in one of Connor’s Furies shirts that she stole over the Summer. 

“Why is Connor asking if you’re alive?” Taylor asks. She passes Dylan a cloth so she can wipe the cake off her face and scrolls through something on her phone. 

“She’s needy.” Dylan shrugs. She favourited all the tweets she got and replied to most people that texted her but she hasn’t open Connor’s messages. They haven’t really talked since Christmas and Dylan texted her before the final, but other than that it’s just Snapchats. 

It’s weird, not being _together_ anymore and she doesn’t know how to deal with it. 

Taylor gives her a look, she knows Connor too, because everyone who plays hockey at this level from the GTA knows each other, and brings her phone up to take a picture. Dylan flips her off and Taylor giggles. She sends the Snap to everyone, even Dylan and Dylan rolls her eyes and the birthday hat and emojis Taylor added. 

“Connor says you look stupid.” Taylor announces, a couple minutes later. 

Dylan huffs, “Tell her thank you.” She gets her phone out again, going to her messages with Connor and sending _i’ll text u later._ She adds a heart before she can overthink it and then follows Alex into their living room so they can start the movie. 

-

“Did you open it?” Connor asks, as soon as she accepts the Skype call. She’s at her parents’ house, Dylan recognizes the posters on her wall. There’s one of Wick right above her head and one of Hefford beside her because she was Dylan’s favourite. 

“Not yet.” Dylan says. She has it beside her and Connor just grins at her until Dylan tugs the box onto her lap. “What is it?”

“Just open it idiot.” Connor huffs. 

Dylan gets the tape off with the scissors on her desk and there’s a smaller box inside, wrapped in Maple Leaf printed wrapping paper. She gets it off easily and there’s a bunch of things inside. 

The first thing she pulls out is a bobblehead of Connor. The only reason she knows it’s Connor is because of the name across the bottom. She’s in a Furies jersey and her hair is three shades too light and her face is ridiculous. 

“It looks just like you.” Dylan says. 

“Oh shut up.” Connor laughs. 

There’s a bunch of candy from the shop in Montreal that they found after a U-18 tournament and a Tupperware container of brownies. 

“Your mom made them, not me, so you don’t have to worry.” Connor says. 

“Thank god.” Dylan mutters. There’s a card at the bottom and she’ll read it later, not sure if it’s from Connor or her mom. “Thank you.” She says, not looking up at the screen. “This is all really nice.” 

“You’re welcome.” Connor says. The look on her face is a mix of smug and shy, and Dylan misses her so much. “I wish I was there.” 

“Me too.” Dylan admits. 

“I gotta go.” Connor frowns, “But happy birthday Dyls. You’re gonna kill it on Saturday.” 

“Thanks.” Dylan says, “See you later.”

“Bye Stromer.” Connor says, waving quickly before the call cancels out. 

Dylan groans and opens the brownie container. 

**2020.**

They make it to the Cup final in her rookie year. 

Dylan is up for rookie of the year, against Mitch and Auston and the award ceremony is the day before her birthday. She doesn’t think she’s going to win but she doesn’t really care. 

It’s Boston vs. Toronto for the final too, and that’s what really matters. Connor laughs when she says tells her that before looping her arm around her waist and tugging her towards the elevator. 

The game is in Toronto this year, at the ACC but they’re all in hotels anyways. The awards at at the Hilton again and Mitch finds them right away. 

“May the best rookie win.” Mitch says, solemnly. 

Dylan rolls her eyes, “So Auston?” 

“Shut up.” Mitch says, too fond. “She deserves it.” 

Connor snickers and kisses Dylan’s cheek, “I’m gonna go find Sid.” 

“Come on,” Mitch says, already walking away. “I saved us seats.” 

-

Auston wins rookie of the year and Dylan is pretty sure Mitch cheers the loudest. Dylan can’t talk, yelling just as loud when Connor goes up to get the Angela James trophy and the four of them hang out after all the media is over with. 

It should be weird, they’re playing each other but there’s still a community day where they’ll have to hang out anyways. 

Connor puts on the Leafs game and argues with Mitch about their penalty kill, and Dylan falls asleep with her head on Connor’s stomach. 

When Dylan wakes up she’s in her own bed, Connor nowhere to be found. She frowns and checks her phone, there’s a message from Mitch that’s just a bad picture of her sleeping with a _go blades go_ put against her chest. The birthday texts and tweets she saves for later, checking Connor’s instead. The text from Connor says _be back soon <3 _ and Dylan sighs, debating going back to sleep. She showers instead and Connor is back when she walks out, a ton of breakfast food covering the bed. 

“Happy birthday.” Connor says, soft. 

Dylan grins at her, walking forward so she can kiss her. “Thank you.” She mutters, leaning back. Her hair is dripping water everywhere and Connor laughs, “You’re welcome.” 

-

Mitch gets all the kids they’re on the ice with to sing her happy birthday. It’s adorable and Dylan goes bright red. 

They take their time afterwards, sitting on the benches and signing things for all the kids that come up to them. 

Dylan loves talking to kids. They don’t annoy her as much as Mitch does and they seem to like her as much as she likes them. 

One kid admits that Dylan and Mitch are her favourites and shyly asks them if they can take a picture together. 

“Of course.” Mitch says, “Especially since you have such good taste.” 

The kid beams at them, offering Dylan her phone, “Because you have the longest arms.” 

Dylan laughs, double checks that they’re already before taking the picture. They take a few more with stupid faces and the kid is beaming when she walks away. 

“What?” Dylan asks, looking up to see Connor staring at her.

“Nothing.” Connor blushes, turning back to say something to Nat. 

-

They win the Cup.

It’s pretty fucking awesome. 

-

Dylan’s mom bakes a cake that fits into the top of the cup perfectly. It looks really cool, the icing Furies blue and Dylan takes a ton of pictures. 

Connor takes a forkful and holds it up so Dylan can eat it. Mitch is there too, home for the summer and she huffs. “You two are disgusting.” 

“Don’t be jealous.” Dylan says, “Maybe next year you can come to Toronto and win the cup with us.” 

Mitch flips her off but she’s still smiling, “It’s cute that you miss me so much.” 

**2022.**

Connor is the captain when they win gold. 

Winning gold is better than anything else in the entire world, Dylan is pretty sure. They get their medals by number which means Connor is on the other side of the line as she is. Dylan leans back and beams when Connor is leaning back too, laughing and giving her thumbs up. 

“Disgusting.” Mitch says, to her right. She looks happy, but it’s different, a bit more subdued when Auston is on the other side of the ice. 

Dylan takes her hand and squeezes, leaning down to kiss her cheek obnoxiously. “Proud of you.” She mutters and Mitch laughs, “Proud of you too, you giant.” 

When they take the picture Dylan weasels her way to Connor. “Love you.” She mumbles and Connor giggles, “Love you.” 

They stick around on the ice, Nat and Bailey dragging out coolers onto the benches. The stands are cleared out pretty quickly and Connor lays down next to Dylan, passing her a can of beer.

“We should get married.” Dylan says. 

“Yeah?” Connor asks.

“Yeah.” Dylan nods, “This summer. It’s not as busy.” 

“Okay.” Connor agrees. She links their fingers together, cold against the ice. “You still have to propose though, this doesn’t count.” 

Dylan rolls her eyes but laughs, “Yeah, yeah.” 

-

Dylan proposes two days before her birthday. 

Connor isn’t expecting it at all, tearing up as soon as she sees Dylan on one knee and Dylan thinks this might be better than winning gold.

-

They go to Cora’s, every Monday morning and Connor kicks at her feet under the table. “Do you ever think about coming out?”

Dylan shrugs, “Yeah.” It’s different, for two of them. Connor is the golden girl, the one with all the pressure of the future of women’s hockey on her shoulders. Dylan is good, but she isn’t Connor. 

“I talked to management, or whatever.” Connor says, quietly. “And I think I want to.” 

“With me?” Dylan asks. Hockey Canada isn’t going to cut Connor. Connor isn’t someone you can replace. Dylan hates to admit it, but she knows she is. They could justify cutting her from a roster if they really wanted to. 

“Yes.” Connor says. “I talked to them. They wouldn’t let it affect anything. We’re engaged, it’s not like we’re going to break up.” 

“Okay.” Dylan says. “We can do it.”  
-

Dylan spends her actual birthday with just Connor. 

They only told their families about the engagement, which includes Mitch now too, and she’d made them promise that she could throw at least one bachelorette party. 

“We should buy a new place.” Connor mumbles. It’s early, she can never sleep in and usually Dylan would be annoyed but Connor isn’t making her move.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Connor sighs, “We’re old now, engaged.”

“Twenty five isn’t old.” Dylan huffs, tucking her face into Connor’s neck. Connor keeps tracing patterns on her back and she shivers. 

“I know, but maybe we can find a house.” Connor says, “Not a shitty apartment.” 

Dylan shrugs, “We can call someone tomorrow, Ryan’s girlfriend is a realtor.” 

“Cool.” Connor says. “Can we go get food now?” 

-

They come out on Dylan’s birthday. She thinks it’d take a real asshole to say anything mean about it when it’s her birthday too. 

It’s a cute picture, Dylan smiling at the camera and Mitch, while Connor kisses her cheek. Her hand is up by her cheek too, the ring clearly visible. Connor posts it, captioning it _happy birthday to the love of my life._ She adds the ring emoji and the two girls holding hands and doesn’t look nervous at all when she posts it. 

“You guys are cute.” Mitch sighs, liking the post. “Still gross though.” 

Dylan flips her off and kisses Connor again.

Later, Dylan posts her own set of pictures. There’s one of her and Mitch from earlier, both of them with cake on their faces. Another of her and Alex and Auston in a booth at the steakhouse they went to. There last one is of her kissing Connor, both of them in Furies jerseys, the Cup beside them. 

It’s one of her favourites, was her phone background until Mitch changed it to a picture of her making a face and she was too lazy to change it. She changes it now, to one of her and Connor at the Olympics, both of them grinning with medals around their necks. 

“We’re adorable.” Connor says, hooking her chin over her shoulder.

“We are.” Dylan agrees. 

**2030.**

Mitch sends a Strome-McDavid Toronto Furies jersey for AJ’s first birthday. It’s tiny, definitely something Mitch had to ask to be made. 

Connor loves it. She puts it on her right away and AJ doesn’t look impressed but she doesn’t cry either, so Dylan figures it’s a win. Dylan sends Mitch a picture but Mitch calls instead of replying.

“Lemme see her.” She says, “Please.”

 

“I’m good Mitch, how are you?” Dylan laughs. She switches the camera to show her AJ, lying against Connor on the couch. 

“God, she’s adorable.” Mitch sighs, “I almost got her a Blades jersey, but I figured you guys would burn it or something. Didn’t want to waste my money.”

Dylan rolls her eyes. She wouldn’t have burned it, just thrown it out or donated it or something. “What’d you get me?”

“Nothing.” Mitch answers, “Just this phone call, I know you miss me.” 

“The best present I’ll get all year.” 

“I know.” Mitch sighs, “Anyways, I gotta go. Bye AJ, love you!” 

“It is a cute jersey.” Connor says. AJ is asleep, already better at ignoring Mitch than the rest of them. There’s a 16 on the jersey and Dylan is pretty sure Auston had to tell Mitch not to make the last name Marner. 

Dylan takes another picture because her wife and kid are really fucking cute before sitting down beside them. “Yeah, it is.” 

-

“Hey Dylan?” Connor yells up the stairs. 

“Yeah?” Dylan says. She has AJ on her hip with AJ’s hair in a mess of a braid. Connor will redo it when Dylan is distracted. She won’t let her kid have terrible hair in all the birthday pictures they have to take later. 

“Surprise!” Mitch says, popping out and grinning. 

Dylan gapes before it clues in that Mitch is actually there and she jogs down the stairs. Mitch makes hands for AJ and takes her, giggling back when AJ mumbles something that _might_ sound like Mitch. 

“Happy birthday Dylan.” Mitch says, popping AJ’s nose and looking up. “I’m your present this year.” 

“Can I return it?” Dylan asks. She hugs Mitch around AJ, kissing her daughter’s head before moving around her to hug Auston. 

“I got you a real present.” Auston whispers. 

It turns out to be mini sticks, also personalized so they’re Furies and Blades versions. AJ chews on the end of a Blades one while Mitch organizes a tournament for the rest of them. 

Mitch wins and holds AJ up like a trophy afterwards, grinning. “This just means I’m her favourite.” 

“It does not.” Dylan pouts. 

Connor rolls her eyes and tugs her up from her knees. “Come on, your mom texted, they’re almost here.” 

-

“Good birthday?” Connor whispers. 

They’re standing over AJ’s crib. She goes to sleep pretty easily now, curled up to the teddy bear that Nat gave her when she was born. 

“Yeah.” Dylan nods, leaning down to kiss AJ’s forehead.

“Good.” Connor says, tucking herself against her. “Love you.”


End file.
